Tennis Controversies of the Week: Danielle Collins slammed for contentious remark on Iga Swiatek row; Ben Shelton in hot water over comment on labor rate, and more
American tennis star Danielle Collins faced backlash over her recent remarks on the 2024 Paris Olympics controversy involving Iga Swiatek. In other news, Ben Shelton drew flak after joking about seeking a job in a service shop after knowing about the high hourly labor rate.
Meanwhile, tennis legend Billie Jean King pushed back against Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek’s complaints about demanding schedules. ATP Finals slammed for naming a player’s group after Ilie Nastase as his alleged racial abuse incident against tennis legend Serena Williams resurfaced.
Also, Frances Tiafoe received support after allegedly being fined $120,000 for his controversial outburst directed at the chair umpire during the 2024 Shanghai Masters.
On that note, here’s a recap of the top controversies from last week:
Danielle Collins sparked outrage with her latest comments on Paris Olympics dispute with Iga Swiatek
Danielle Collins faced backlash for her recent remarks about the 2024 Paris Olympics controversy involving Iga Swiatek.
The incident occurred during their quarterfinal match, where Collins struck a backhand that hit Swiatek in the chest. Simultaneously, Collins struggled with abdominal pain, leading her to retire from the match with the score at 1-6, 6-2, 1-4.
During their interaction at the net, Collins seemed to confront Swiatek, who was visibly surprised by her comments. Later, in the post-match press conference, Collins disclosed that she had accused the Polish tennis star of feigning concern over her injury.
Months later, Collins reflected in an interview with The Athletic, admitting she could have handled the situation better and committing to self-improvement. The American tennis star also criticized the double standard in how conflicts involving women are scrutinized compared to men.
I think what happened on the court is very much just like sometimes people have friction at work. For most people, it’s not on the news. I’m trying to be the best person that I can be, but that’s not to say that I don’t fall short of that. I could have taken a different approach and done some things differently. But we had a moment there on court,” she said.
